February 27 a Sad Day in the Life...

Wednesday, February 27 was what one of my daughter's childhood stories would have called a "no good, very bad day." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette carried obituaries for two memorable people: Myron Cope, sports writer and announcer, and William F. Buckley, Jr.

As a Pittsburgher-at-heart (and a former resident of Allegheny County), I add my grief to that of those mourning the loss of Myron Cope. I'm lucky to have enjoyed the "glory years" of the Pittsburgh Steelers, way back in the 1970s. You know, the days of "Greenwood, Green, Holmes and White," and "Bradshaw steps up under center, Harris and Blyer are the backfield..." And then there was Myron, with his outrageous blurts over the radio, and the invention of the "Terrible Towel." (Robert Dvorchak wrote a wonderful piece in The Post-Gazette on 2/28.) It was Cope who, at a fan's suggestion, christened the miraculous Franco Harris catch "The Immaculate Reception." And, of course, beyond being the voice of the "Steeler Nation," Cope was a highly acclaimed sports writer. Did you know that Cope gave all of the profits from "The Terrible Towel" to the Allegheny Valley School for hanidcapped individuals; according to the newspaper, that amounted to over 2.2 MILLION dollars. Rob Rogers, the outstanding political cartoonist for The Post-Gazette, captured the sadness of Myron's passing. His 2/28 cartoon showed a fan crying into his "Terrible Towel" and exclaiming, "Tripple Yoi," as the newspaper in the foreground announced Cope's passing.

William F. Buckley, Jr. died on the 27th as well. While I might often disagree with the views of the conservative commentator, author, and television host, I greatly enjoyed listening to him articulate--either verbally or in print--his points so eloquently. His sublime intelligence and mastery of the English language were worth the price of admission. I remember once watching Buckley as a guest on someone else's talk show. The host (whom I don't remember) was badgering his guest with a barrage of criticisms and accusations, at which point Buckley interrupted the rapid-fire diatribe with the question, "Excuse me sir, what is my current offense?" Priceless. Where are the William F. Buckleys today? When I watch the "talking heads" on the multitude of news programs and cable channels today, and hear the "hip" language they attempt to employ (even while reporting a tragedy), I have to wonder what has become of decorum and appropriate narrative? I can only wish I had one eighteenth of Buckley's command of the written and spoken word, and one thirty-second of his grasp of ideas.

Two distinctly different individuals from entirely diverse circles of influence--but Cope and Buckley made life more interesting. Things just got a bit duller around here.